“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” Albert Camus

Sunday, 7 September 2014

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

A DEFINITION NOT FOUND

IN THE DICTIONARY

Not leaving: an act of trust and love,

often deciphered by children.

This book is hype. I was a bit skeptical about it, but
it turned out really amazing. I love the idea of putting the book on a
protagonist’s place. The narrator is Death. It makes this book really different
from others and more exciting. Through Death’s perception we see WWII and how
it affected ordinary Germans. Absolutely heartbreaking stories of different
people.

Liesel Meminger is a girl who lost so many of her
beloved in this war. She has an unusual hobby – stealing books. She likes the
process and reading a stolen book is much sweeter. Through her journey she
meets different people whom she loves in different ways, and who make her up as
personality. Watch out: the ending is so heartbreaking you would cry for days.

Nazi Germany through child’s eyes is interesting. We
can see how hard was life to those who wasn’t Nazi. How difficult and dangerous
their lives turned out. Most of children didn’t understand why Jews are bad and
inferior, what was really the difference between Germans and them. This book is
good on so many levels: the style, complex characters, and historical background.
It could easily become a life-changing book for you so go for it.